International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change

Symposium Wrap-up

The International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change was a resounding success. The 225 experts in attendance enjoyed a rich and fascinating program. For the first time, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations paired the themes of nutrition and climate change, breaking down practice silos while focusing on two particular regions: French-speaking Africa and the Far North.

Why this symposium?

The effects of climate change on food security and nutrition are one of the major challenges facing humanity in the coming decades. Reflection is needed in order to adapt the agri-food system to this new climate and social reality.

From September 24 to 27, the Québec government, in collaboration with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), will host the International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change. Close to 225 experts and representatives from international organizations, civil society, the private sector and youth groups are expected at the Québec City Convention Centre.

The goal of this international meeting is to highlight the importance of food and agriculture systems in the fight against climate change, and to present concrete and multisectoral solutions for addressing this global issue.

What is food security?

Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.

Agenda

The symposium will include plenary sessions and interactive workshops where several themes directly or indirectly associated with food security and nutrition will be discussed (health, biodiversity, forestry, urban agriculture, food waste, animal husbandry, gender equality, empowerment of women, etc.). The regional reality in West Africa and in the far North will be highlighted. The symposium will also focus on youth and countries directly affected by these issues by encouraging their participation in the scheduled activities.

Reflections – Food security and nutrition in a changing climate

The following are a few reflections that are central to the mandate of the International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change.

The vulnerability of agricultural systems to climate variations will:

Intensify the risk of lower output in local and global agricultural production

Increase food prices and their volatility

Increase the possibility of resource-related conflict

Have direct impacts on health or increase food insecurity and malnutrition

Agriculture and the food industry have a role to play in the fight against climate change. Together, agriculture, forestry and land-use change are responsible for about a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions.

About one third of the edible parts of food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted globally, which represents around 1.3 billion tons per year.

According to FAO projections, global agricultural production will have to increase by 60% to meet the increased demand for food of a population of 9 billion people in 2050.

How we mitigate climate change and adapt to it today will determine whether humanity succeeds in eradicating hunger and poverty by 2030.

Agriculture has the potential to reduce greenhouse gas emissions if concrete actions are taken to transform food and agriculture systems in order to improve the use of natural resources and their sustainability.

Policies on climate change mitigation and adaptation, food security, nutrition, health, demography, the economy and natural resources need to be decompartmentalized to support a transition toward smart and sustainable food systems in the current climate.

Québec and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations

This symposium will strengthen the collaboration that has been developing for several years between Québec and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).

The Québec government and the FAO are both concerned by the challenge posed by climate change for global food and agriculture systems.

The FAO’s mission is to ensure food security and improve nutrition throughout the world through sustainable development. Aware that climate change is already affecting agriculture and food security, the FAO recently chose to integrate a second priority into its mandate—the fight against climate change in order to guarantee more sustainable, productive and resilient agriculture.

Québec is committed to the fight against climate change. It has a growing interest in international issues of food and nutrition security. The province also has expertise in climate change, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and forestry, which are all sectors linked to food security and nutrition.

With this symposium, Québec hopes to share its expertise and contribute to international reflection on this current issue in order to encourage innovative and effective solutions and to accelerate a transition toward smart and sustainable agri-food systems in this climate.

To contact us

The International Symposium on Food Security and Nutrition in the Age of Climate Change is coordinated by the Ministère des Relations internationales et de la Francophonie in collaboration with the Ministère du Développement durable, de l’Environnement et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, the Ministère de l’Agriculture, des Pêcheries et de l’Alimentation, the Ministère de Santé et des Services sociaux and the Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs.